Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1887-09-09
FRIDAY MORNING. SEPT. 9. 1887.
THE PRINCIPLE OF 4 STREET
RAILWAY FRANCHISE,

THE PRINCIPLE OF A STREET
RAILWAY FRANCHISE,
Some OF those who favor the acceptance
of the proposition of Moses Leterman and
A. D. Payne, of Charlottesville, for
the laying of street railway lines in
Stanton. seem to think that the position
of the VINDIcAToR towards 1t is that of
hostility to the acceptance of any PROPOSE
tion not emanating from our own citizens.
So far from true is this, that we are not
sure we would not prefer outsiders obtain
ing franchise and laying the lines, as a
well deserved rebuke to the apathy and
indifference shown by Staunton capital
lists to an enterprise which will pay
greater per cent. on the Investment than
any industry now being operated in their
city. Our position may be stated in
few words. Staunton is field for making
money by tramway. otherwise nobody,
especially capitalists familiar with it, as
the present bidders are-both being inter
ested in the successful Charlottesville line
just put in operation-would want to build
a line here. Nobody suspects as level
headed business men as these are, of want
ing to make passenger transit easier for
the Staunton people simply as matter of
philanthropy. No railroad company
ever expects to use a farmers land for
right of way without paying him for it,
oh fo fho 1oY nd
of the taxpayers of Staunton for tram
way without paying them for it, A very
liberal-an exceedingly liberal offer made
by the city of StauntOn would be to per-
NIT the company to occupy its streets and
in return pay to it a part of its
net receipts. That is to say if you make
nothing, you pay nothing; if you make
anything, we who furnish you five hun,
dred times the value of what you invest,
expect to share it with you. And after
all, the tax paid would go to increasing the
company profits, for it would be invested
in public park at one end of the line,
visitors to which in summer would con-
tribute the larger portion of the traffic of
the company. With this statement we
hardly think the subsection of company
to such condition can be called an
evidence of hostility.
Again; as to the time allowed for the
completion of the road. If firm wants
to build street railway it ought to he
ready in every sense of the word to do it,
and generally is. In Richmond, the
Union Electric Railway Co. had its work
men digging the streets and stretching its
wire almost before the ink was dry with
which the permission of the city council
was recorded. II the proponents 10 build
the Stanton lire are not ready now, let
them come when they are ready. They
may lose the control Of the field in the
meantime 7 That is true, but on the other
hand if the city granted the right year
or two in advance and thus blocked the
streetway against other companies,i it might
lose more favorable offers than the pres
emit bidders put in. The people of Staun
ton want no right of way to their streets
in somebody eIse's pocket, waiting year
or SO to get ready. Staunton is grow
ing place, alive with much activity in GER
tain directions, and every year tramway
franchise would be more valuable to any
who wished to embark in that business.
All the experience in Virginia about the
carriage of either passenger or merchan-
disc traffic has shown that privileges to be
used when it suits the grantees, are dan
gerous experiments.
The length of time for the privilege
ninety-nine years-is of course inadmiss-
able. It must be remembered that after
company gets down the rails the right
of way cannot be altered or modified by
the city itself-no matter what changes
it wishes to make in its streets without
the consent of the occupant. We suppose
there are very few citizens Of Staunton
who would be willing to surrender the
most important and most valuable posses
sion of the municipality chief streets
to any company. for the natural life time
of three generations. 1t would be most
unfortunate thing for the town if the
municipal representatives of this genera
tion surrendered rights of the city-prac-
tically for all time-and put them beyond
recall.
As our readers have long known, we are
the earnest advocates of street railway,
as we are of anything else that is likely to
make Staunton a more attractive place to
the world by its facilities for business
and social life, and we shall be glad to see
any parties from abroad or at home build
a line on terms that will be fair and pro-
itable to both the owners and the city, -